NCAA· Season 2026
Butler rallied from 17-3 down to beat Georgetown (KY) 27-23 on QB Gabe Passini's career-high 176 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the season opener.
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Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Georgetown struck first after two long receptions from senior wide receivers Clayton Davis and Chandler Godby set up a 24-yard Braden Widener field goal. The Tigers then converted a 4th-and-8 and scored the next play on a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Justice Burnam to Trace Jallick, making it 10-0 late in the first quarter.
Butler got on the board via a 34-yard Beck Janki field goal early in the second quarter. The following kickoff saw Butler force a fumble, but the offense stalled and Janki's 42-yard attempt was blocked by Delshan Davis and returned for a touchdown by Javyn Martin, extending Georgetown's lead to 17-3.
The Bulldogs responded immediately. Passini connected with Chet Yardley for a 20-yard touchdown strike — Yardley's first career TD catch — cutting the deficit to 17-10. After a Georgetown special teams miscue and a subsequent three-and-out, graduate running back Desmin Jackson ran in from close range to tie the game at 17-17.
Georgetown drove to the Butler three-yard line in the final minute of the half but settled for a Widener field goal, taking a 20-17 lead into the break.
"It was a very sloppy first half for us, and for us to [get a stop] on two plays from inside the three and hold them to a field goal was big," head coach Kevin Lynch said.
Widener added another field goal in the third quarter to make it 23-17. On Butler's next possession, Passini broke off a 49-yard rush and followed it with a nine-yard scoring scamper to give the Bulldogs their first lead at 24-23.
"I [have to] give all the props to my offensive line," Passini said. "They are the ones that make it happen, I'm just the one who carries the ball."
The turning point
Butler's defence seized control early in the fourth quarter. After a sack from sophomore defensive lineman Okemdi Eze ended the third quarter, graduate linebacker Will Beesley intercepted Burnam at the Georgetown 38-yard line. The offence converted the turnover into a 27-yard Janki field goal, stretching the lead to 27-23 with time bleeding away.
Georgetown mounted two final drives. The first stalled when they missed a 35-yard field goal attempt. The second ended with senior defensive lineman Luke Green sacking Burnam, forcing a punt. On 3rd-and-3, Passini ran for the first down — sealing the win with a career-best rushing performance — and the Bulldogs kneeled out the clock.
"That's the beauty of football," Lynch said. "Winning is hard and when you get an opportunity to win, you have to celebrate it and enjoy it because they're hard to come by. We did a lot of things that should lose a football game and we were able to overcome it by forcing two turnovers and winning the [turnover] battle 2-0."
Key performers
Gabe Passini, QB, Butler — 176 rushing yards (career high), two rushing TDs, one passing TD. The 49-yard rush ignited the go-ahead drive. The Butler Collegian named him the game's key offensive figure.
Will Beesley, LB, Butler — Fourth-quarter interception set up the decisive field goal. He was central to a Bulldogs defence that forced two turnovers and held Georgetown scoreless in the final quarter.
Chet Yardley, WR, Butler — Caught the first Butler passing touchdown of the season, a 20-yard strike that sparked the comeback from 14 points down.
Javyn Martin, DB, Georgetown (KY) — Returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the second quarter, briefly putting the Tigers up 17-3.
By the numbers — interpreted
Butler's ground game was the decisive difference. Passini's 176 rushing yards more than doubled his previous career high, and the Bulldogs ran for enough yardage in critical short-yardage situations to salt away the win. Georgetown, by contrast, had their chances: they reached the Butler three-yard line before halftime and settled for three, then missed a fourth-quarter field goal and turned the ball over on an interception. The Tigers' inability to convert red-zone opportunities into touchdowns — settling for field goals on three of their four scoring drives — proved fatal against a Butler side that won the turnover battle 2-0.
What it means
Butler opens the season 1-0 in non-conference FCS play. The Bulldogs travel to Bozeman, Montana on 5 September to face defending FCS champion Montana State, a monumental step up in class. Georgetown (KY) drops to 0-1 and will look to regroup before their next fixture.
Verdict
A sloppy, turnover-marred opener that Butler had no business winning after falling behind 17-3 — but Passini's legs and a disciplined second-half defensive performance flipped the script. The Bulldogs won the only stat that mattered (turnovers 2-0) and escaped with a win that keeps their momentum alive heading into one of the toughest tests in FCS football.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 30 Aug 2026